Delhi to host Warne's double-role debut

Match facts

Saturday, April 19, 2008
Start time 20:30 local time (15:00 GMT)

The Big Picture

Shane Warne and his Rajasthan Royals travel to Delhi, where the Daredevils await them for their opener under the recently installed floodlights at a refurbished Feroz Shah Kotla. Neither Rajasthan nor Delhi made any big purchases during the auctions; Virender Sehwag, the Delhi Daredevils captain, tops the payroll list for his franchise at US$833,750, while Mohammad Kaif is the most expensive player for the Jaipur-based franchise, at $675,000.

Delhi start favourites for the clash, with a heady mix of aggressive batsmen, wily bowlers and athletic fielders, but it will be folly to underestimate the tactical acumen of Warne, the coach and captain.

Watch out for ...

Some big hits. Delhi has in its ranks the explosive Sehwag, alongside Gautam Gambhir, a standout performer for India in Twenty20s, and Shikhar Dhawan, while Rajasthan have big hitters of the ball in Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan. Warne's battle with Sachin Tendulkar has been touted as one to watch in the IPL, but the contest against Sehwag will be no less engaging. After conquering batsmen the world over in unison, Glenn McGrath and Warne will be on opposing ends, though it's unlikely they will bowl to each other.

Team news

Both teams will miss some of their overseas players. Delhi will be without Pakistanis Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif, while AB de Villiers is back in South Africa playing the Standard Bank Pro20 Series. For Rajasthan, Graeme Smith is also away on domestic duty, forcing them to send an SOS call to 38-year-old Darren Lehmann after Mark Ramprakash turned down the offer. Also unavailable are the Pakistani trio of Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir, besides hard-hitting allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas, the only English player in the league. Delhi are likely to open with Sehwag and Gambhir, with Tillakaratne Dilshan and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik occupying middle-order spots. Manoj Tiwary, Dhawan, Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia will vie for the remaining slots in the batting line-up, leaving space for four bowlers, spearheaded by McGrath and Daniel Vettori, one of the most effective bowlers in last year's World Twenty20 in South Africa. An injury to Sri Lankan allrounder Farveez Maharoof means Tasmanian Brett Geeves, a surprise signing, might get a game, while it will be a toss-up between Yo Mahesh and Pradeep Sangwan, unless Delhi opt for a second specialist spinner in Amit Mishra.

Delhi (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Brett Geeves, 10 Glenn McGrath, 11 Pradeep Sangwan.

Rajasthan's allrounders - Pathan and Watson - form the core group along with Warne and Mohammad Kaif. Taruwar Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, two of India's World Cup-winning Under-19 team, might get a look in, while Mahesh Rawat is expected to keep. Munaf Patel might seem to be a bit laidback for Twenty20 but, barring injury, he should be opening the bowling alongside Rajasthan's very own Pankaj Singh.

Rajasthan (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Taruwar Kohli, 3 Mohammad Kaif, 4 Darren Lehmann, 5 Niraj Patel, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Mahesh Rawat (wk), 8 Ravindra Jadeja , 9 Shane Warne, 10 Pankaj Singh, 11 Munaf Patel.

Stats and trivia

Vettori is surely the man to watch, given his impressive Twenty20 record: he averages a wicket every 16.1 deliveries, and concedes less than a run a ball.

Quotes

"I think we have balance in the side, we have players to cover any department whether batting or bowling. Let the tournament start, I think we are one of the best sides."
Don't take Delhi lightly, warns captain Sehwag

"I have been asked how I feel about playing alongside Graeme Smith. We have not really got on too well as opponents - and that is an understatement."
Warne won't have to deal with Smith in the next few days at least

"In Twenty20 I have always opened, so I want to continue to bat in that position. But I can bat at any position, the important thing is the team's victory."
Gambhir makes his priorities clear